1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a versatile automatic transaction equipment by which a customer executes a plurality of bank transactions including cash payment and receipt.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices for automating the counter transactions of banks which already find application include an automatic cash dispenser and an automatic cash depositing machine. To meet the demand on the part of banks to reduce the space required for such devices, a versatile transaction equipment which has a combined function of the above-mentioned two transaction machines has been developed as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,648,020. One of the advantages of the versatile automatic transaction equipment lies in the wider time zone offered to customers for bank transactions than the ordinary bank business hours. Another advantage is that users or customers are able to draw or deposit cash freely and speedily without the labor of bank clerks.
Cash payment accounts for the greatest proportion of bank counter transactions, and therefore, it is generally a cash dispenser of all the transaction machines that is first installed in a bank. With the wider extension of transaction machines and the resulting familialization of users with automatic transactions, the types of automatic transactions entrusted to users' operation are on the increase to such an extent that the types of transactions that have so far been implemented through bank clerks, including depositing, posting transaction history in passbooks and transfer business tend to be taken over by the transaction machines.
The conventional automatic transaction equipment with a modular construction attempting to meet the trend toward an increasing number of types of transactions handled by transaction machines, is suggested by U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,925 in which a control system, which includes a programmable microprocessor and a plurality of passive terminal elements (sub-system) interconnected by a terminal information bus, operates to assemble user supplied information, terminal status information, communicates transaction request to a host, and provides central information to terminal modules for the execution of requested transactions in a manner consistent with host generated transaction reply messages. Each sub-system handles one or more terminal functions such as the control of hardware of the control of user communications in direct response to microprocessor control information. All decision makings are handled by the microprocessor with only specific, well defined commands being executed by the bus connected modules.
In such a control system, the types of executable transactions are increased in number by changing the program of the microprocessor and by connecting additional required hardware to the terminal information bus.
In view of the fact that the operation of all sub-systems is controlled by a single microprocessor, the complication of transactions imposes a large burden on the microprocessor, with the result that it takes a long time to process one transaction depending on the type thereof.
Assume, for instance, that a depositing sub-system is in operation which requires the processes of collecting the printing pattern of the bill or paper money inserted by a user for depositing, and comparing it with a reference pattern to identify the type and authenticity of that bill. The microprocessor is busy with data processing for this sub-system, and has no room for sufficient control of the operation of the other sub-systems. In like manner, it is busy with data processing for the passbook-printing sub-system while in operation for processing the data printing of the passbook, during which time it is difficult for the microprocessor to process a more sophisticated control such as the operation control of the cash payment sub-system at the same time. The conventional versatile automatic transaction equipment thus has a limitation of control quantity for parallel operation of two or more sub-systems, so that main sub-systems requiring much time for data processing are operated in time series, resulting in a long time required for completing each transaction.